War of the Roses preview: Taking on Call of Duty with sword and shield

War of the Roses is a medieval multiplayer title coming to PC and Mac being developed by former Battlefield and Bionic Commando Rearmed 2 developers. It's billed as publisher Paradox's flagship release of 2012 and it's easy to see why, with up to 64 players taking part in open battle with swords and shields. We go hands-on with an early version and explain why it should be on your radar.

Just as the fad of modern combat in shooters is slowly being replaced by future warfare - from the forthcoming Ghost Recon Future Soldier to Black Ops II - War of the Roses offers a welcome respite, taking players back around 800 years back to medieval times and handing them swords, spears and arrows in a similarly competitive environment.

Bullets in shooters means combat takes on a Wild West duelling approach; when two opponents lock sights, the victor is usually the one to raise their weapon and shoot first. War of the Roses's combat is much more up-close and personal, relying on spatial awareness, bluffing, parrying and blocking. Seeing an enemy is the first step; it's what you do next that really counts.

Weapon swings and thrusts are designed to be as accurate and realistic as possible, with damage taking into account the speed and direction of each swipe of the mouse. With most players kitted out with suits of armor, protection and weak points matter too, and players can place priority on whether they want armor that's more agile or better protected.

Although one-swing take-downs are possible, quick dispatches are mainly the domain of the most skilled of players. You'll often find yourself locked inside an intense one-on-one bout, circling around other players and hacking away until someone is downed and finally finished off with a gruesome finishing move.

While some of the melee combat felt a little flimsy in this pre-alpha build - it lacks a certain feel of physicality when you land a hit, plus more feedback could be provided to say you're nailing their weak points - class balances appear to already work well, with players choosing what matches their play style as opposed to what dominates the battlefield.

The fighting in War of the Roses is often slow and tactical, but it also provides hectic battlefields bustling with activity, as long and short-ranged footmen work for territory and men-at-arms on horses crash into each other. The variety of classes available and the prospect of 64-player combat will undoubtedly lead to some spectacular skirmishes.

Each class and their respective weapons has various strengths and weaknesses. A crossbow is a guaranteed one-shot kill if you can accurately plant a round in someone's chest, otherwise you're a sitting duck for around ten seconds as you reload. Horses are powerful and incredibly mobile beasts, but lance charges are difficult to land and are easy to see coming.

Archers are superb at sneak attacks from the fringes of battle, but shots need to be very accurate - players can opt to lower their helmet visors for increased protection at the cost of their visibility. Plus, an archer's lack of armor means up-close attacks will kill quickly.

Despite the drawbacks, the archer was our favorite class. Squared off against a knight, knowing you that one misplaced arrow is all that lies between you and their piercing sword provides for some tense and exhilarating stand-offs.

As with any multiplayer title worth its salt, there are plenty of customisation options available, from tweaking the appearance of armor to creating your own custom coat of arms. The performance of a weapon can also change through different schools of fighting, tweaking attack speeds and defensive stances to suit how you want to fight.

While multiplayer is the core focus, a single player campaign will ease players into combat with basic objectives and AI-controlled team mates, backed up by a story exploring the history behind the game's setting. Multiplayer will also take a similar introductory approach. Basic Team Deathmatch and Conquest modes - made available at launch - will help players learn the ins-and-outs of combat, and more complicated modes will then be offered for free post-release.

We're really excited for War of the Roses. Its close-quarters combat shows promise, offering crowded skirmishes and intense one-on-one encounters, and an era and theme that's a breath of fresh air in the multiplayer space. You'll be able to sample it for yourself when it enters closed alpha testing sometime this month.